In line with the advancement of gender equality for the achievement of not just Sustainable Development Goal 5, but all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, Civil Society Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations and development partners have called on governments to create enabling systems and structures to prevent domestic violence against women and girls and enhance their socio-economic status in the society.
In a statement to mark the 2022 International Women’s Day, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of United Nations (UN) Women, said the celebration is an opportunity to put women and girls at the centre of our planning and action and to integrate gender perspectives into international and national laws and policies.
“We have the opportunity to re-think, re-frame and re-allocate resources. We have the opportunity to benefit from the leadership of women and girls, environmental defenders, and climate activists to guide our planet’s conservation. We need Indigenous women’s inter-generational knowledge, practices, and skills.”
Bahous stated that while it will take unprecedented global cooperation and solidarity levels to succeed, there is no alternative to success.
“We must protect our hard-won gains on human rights and women’s rights and lead decisively to leave no woman or girl behind. We need to ensure universal social protection and a care economy that protects us all. We have to scale up financing for gender-responsive climate, environmental and disaster risk initiatives; including for COVID-19 recovery and to increase resilience to future shocks”.
Corroborating the statement by UN Women Executive Director, the Executive secretary, Youth Empowerment Foundation, Mrs Iwalola Akin-Jimoh, noted that with the lingering pandemic, unlocking the potential of women is more important than ever.
She said the economic success of women and girls has a considerable effect that leads to better nutrition and health, expanded access to safe water, and greater resilience.
The 2020 Nigerian population census 2020 figure indicates that women make up 49% of the total population. Still, there has been a gross gender gap between men and women, especially in political representation, economic management, and leadership.
The various economic, political, social, and systemic practices serve as obstacles to the effective participation of women in the workplace, politics, governance, and decision making in Nigeria.
Women and girls are the most significantly affected worldwide in various pandemics and disasters.
For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted women and girls. There has been an increased level of inequalities, restricted movement, social services, and resources have become limited, and households face even more pressures.
Poverty and violence against women and girls have all increased. The accelerating crises of climate change and environmental degradation are disproportionately undermining the rights and wellbeing of women and girls. The crisis in Ukraine has also contributed to the disproportionate displacement of women and girls.